Quality service delivery is a genuine concern for every government, except if they are not true to their commitment of meeting the demands of their citizens.

The APRC government, from inception, has focused a keen attention on this. It does not only direct its effort to providing quality service delivery, but it also endeavors to ensure sustainability. To this end, it has always stressed the need to putting in place the right support structures.

This explains the tremendous stride it has achieved in terms of the quality road network Gambians enjoy right across the country today.

But despite all these, transportation has remained a prominent problem for the average Gambian. In fact, it is one of the areas that the government has done everything possible to ease the constraints faced by its people. But there is every reason to believe that there is light at the end of the tunnel.

A couple of months ago, the nation witnessed a landmark donation of a fleet of buses to school children by President Jammeh; a true mark of his concern for students. And now, the inauguration of Unique Transport Systems Company (UTSC) marks another stage in the ongoing effort to fix the problem for good.

As the president announced, UTSC is not only here to fill the gap left by the long standing absence of a reliable transport service system, but it also seeks to cut down on transportation cost for the average Gambian. This is crucial as it will improve the living standards of the poor, who are mostly affected by the stringent developments of late in the transportation industry. UTSC is set to bring back affordability and conformability for road users.  

It is however important that we remain steadfast and concentrate on improving on our management qualities. This is an area where many Gambian institutions have been found wanting in all respect. We have had a series of infrastructural facelifts, but the effect some of these have dwindled, largely as a result of negligence and lack of maintenance. It might therefore be good if the authority in charge of the management of the new buses can take note of this.